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Wow. Deeper and more experimental He-fic than I'm used to reading and love your Hordak morph! What a start!

I like that your He-Man has an ego, and through that wrath and pride, which (sometimes) make archetypal heroes interesting...big-time improvement on the status quo.

By comparison, the He-Man of the minicomics was also wrathful and proud. He actually had a religion--he worshipped the warrior goddess and protectress of the land, Mighty Teela--and he didn't take that lightly. Mess with Eternia, and He-Man was coming for your behind..look at The Magic Stealer. In the opening scrap with Rammy in He-Man Meets Ram-Man, he is motivated as much by selfish pride, as by saving the village just over the hill...ego! This gave him conviction and just a little more angst than Lou Scheimer's version, but made him intriguing...how far would he go? For this reason, I think your He-Man can be heavy-handed and driven, without being a bloodthirsty bull-in-a-china-shop cliche or seeming out of control.

I hope you will not let your characterization of He-Man as a little gung-ho be influenced by lame comparisons with Conan, who was nothing like He-Man beyond both having bare chests and furry pants. Conan never cared about anything but getting paid, staying alive, was always written as a cunning thief...never a dumb, out-of-control brute. Your He-Man can be cunning AND bloodthirsty and very cool, because we don't know what he'll do next. Only bringing this up, because you mentioned the Conan thing in your post.

Yikes, more...right? Last one...you can do a cosmic Zodak, without involving sci-fi themes or futuristic technology. Merlin in Excalibur was really pretty cosmic, a being concerned with cosmic matters of fate and universal order, without being Ben Kenobi. His distress over King Arthur's breaking or care of Excalibur is a very cosmic matter, concerning a future for Camelot and events fated to unfold. You can have Zodac here, even though the Filmation folks never figured out how to use him.

Krull was a spectacular example of how magic and sci-fi can hang out and not overtake each other. The Beast and his Slayers are armed with these little zappy-sticks and kill a lot of good people with them...never see them climbing off a sky-sled or a flying saucer.

I will be watching with baited breath where you take this project. Great start. Daring and innovative in ways we see far too little of in the fan fic arena...good luck.

Firstly, thank you very much for replying as all replies are greatly appreciated

From the sounds of your post you've just started checking out the NV and that really pleases me because Wolf and I love it when new people check it out.

I totally agree that fantasy and sci fi can work together magnificently. The reason why wolf and I made the decision we did with regards to technology had more to do with personal preferences than any specific overarching view about the ability for scifi and fantasy to coexist. In the end we basically just chose to write what we had fun with and hoped that others liked it as well

As for our characterization of He-Man, it's actually evolved over time. Firstly, and this is somewhat ironic, he's actually not seen very often. A little while ago it hit us that with all the stuff we've done we've seldom really looked into him, lol. Since then his characterization has basically been of a man who is essentially morally strong, working hard to overcome petty issues, while at the same time not necessarily being the smartest guy out there. It's not that he is stupid as he is far from it, but he's also still a kid and has a lot to learn. Consequently while he might be the most capable combatant he's not always the most capable of deciding how to best use his skills. Also, unlike some other portrayals of him, he's not so powerful as to be able to do it all alone. In the end he might be able to defeat pretty much any individual enemy, but if you stack the odds enough he'll need help.

You also bring up some excellent ideas regarding Zodac, however, as you'll see, most of the people that we said we'd never do ended up being added in some form or other I actually just read the opening post in this thread recently and was amazed at how much has changed since then. For instance, Zodac, Sy-Klone and Robot were written by contributors who spoke to us about adding something to the NV. Their ideas meshed excellently with our own and we thought the finished products were incredible. Rio was added after someone suggested a really clever idea to me and in time we even saw ways to add Gwildor, Ninjor (who I've yet to post the bio for) and various others that we never expected to include.

Hey Medusa I would just like to say thanks for the great reply and I am happy that you like the New Vision so far. Hordak was actually the first thing we worked on, he was pretty much the start of the whole project.

For now I present the next character to join the NV

Sir Sori - The Knight Mage

Tristan Sori, a young man of medium height but still well muscled, had always shown somewhat of an aptitude to magic. It was not that he had an exceptional amount of magical energy stored within him, it was more that he could see a spell and understand how it works without actually being taught the secrets behind it which helped him learn the magic craft at a greater rate than most others

Born into the wealthy and influential Sori family, which were said to have family ties to the royal family of Eternia themselves, Tristan had been groomed to take over his fathers role as an official ambassador. But the truth was he cared very little for politics and instead preferred to secretly watch the royal magicians and secretly try to copy their moves. At least he thought he was doing it in secret, what he did not know was that he had been observed by the leader of the mages

Seeing young Tristans potential the mage petitioned his father to allow the young lad to train with the other apprentice mages and better learn to harness his abilities before he tried to teach himself something too powerful and lost control. Tristan’s father was naturally against the idea much preferring his son to follow in his footsteps if it was not for his wife, Tristan’s mother, who convinced him that having a a mage in their family would do a lot more for their family honor and besides the mage was correct in saying that Tristan did need to learn control before he hurt himself or others.

So Tristan went to train with the other apprentices. For years he was taught the secrets behind magic and his natural ability to quickly pick it up meant that he advanced far quicker than his peers. But magic was not all he was taught. As part of their training the young apprentices were also taught the basics of self defense and how to handle a weapon and it soon became apparent that his ability to learn faster than others was not just limited to magic. He used this to his advantage as he was able to spend an equal amount of time learning both magic and weapon fighting with his knack of picking things up quickly meant that not only could he keep up with the other apprentices but in most cases surpassed them.

Soon he had graduated and joined the ranks of the royal mages, an order whose role was to protect and aid the royal family, bodyguards against whatever magical threats the dark forces of Eternia sent against them. For years he performed his duty diligently while continuing to further his own understanding of magic and fighting. It did not take long for yet another person to see the potential in the young man.

Sir Mordrem saw that Tristan was very well gifted in both magic and the use of weapons and knew that he would make a great addition to the recently formed Knight Mages that Randor had formed when he had witnessed Mordrem’s magical and fighting abilities on the battlefield and had decided to form a special elite warrior class who would be trained to fight both types of enemies and could protect Eternia better than any mage or warrior could on their own.

So Sir Mordrem made a request to the King and his advisor Man-At-Arms to allow Tristan Sori to join their ranks. The King agreed and so Tristan became a Knight Mage alongside several others who were gifted in both arts, including a man called Aaron who soon became his best friend to the point that the two were practically inseperable. Sori was also introduced to Gwildor, a Thenurian Blacksmith who specialised in the creation of magic weapons, who gifted him with his special magic enhancing armour and a unique battle mace that had been constructed by using part of a magic staff for the handle, a melted down enchanted sword that was refashioned into the bulk of the weapon to give it weight so that its attacks hit with greater force and so that its inherent magical properties combined with the piece of magic staff as a handle meant that Sori could focus his spells through it like a wand while the last part of the weapon, the chain and spiked ball, was crafted out of a special Eternium alloy known only to that Thenurians that was virtually indestructible

More years passed and Tristan quickly grew through the ranks until he was chosen to be second in command behind Mordrem himself, a post he secured when he was instrumental in defending the royal palace from on of Skeletors most vicious attacks ever. The other Knight Mages all agreed that he would one day make a great leader, even greater than Mordrem who, while a powerful magic user and great warrior, was a vain and egotistical man who preferred to use fear and intimidation to get others to do what he wanted. Sori preferred the softer approach and only asked people to do what was right or was they were comfortable doing.

Believing the Knight Mages to be under his utter control Mordrem soon showed his true intentions. Not content with merely being the leader of the Knight Mages he had decided that he wanted to seize the throne by force and set himself up as the ruler of Eternia and he sought to use the Knight Mages to help him in this aim. But naturally the other Knight Mages were opposed to this plan and under the leadership of Tristan were able to defeat Mordrem before he could set his terrible plan in motion. Swearing his revenge Mordrem vanished into the dark hemisphere. Now with the Knight Mages leaderless, Randor quickly came to the decision as to who would be the next leader, a decision that came as no surprise to anyone when it transpired that he had chosen Tristan Sori.

For years Sir Sori of the Knight Mages was a great leader for his team but even he had to admit that what was possibly his best move to ensure the future of his team was to allow the young William Seror entry into the Knight Mages to train under the guidance of Aaron

Wrote this awhile ago. For awhile I had assumed that I had posted it but as it turns out I was wrong. Once more, a character that neither Wolf nor I ever expected to do.

Ninjor

Shortly after banishing Hordak, Skeletor went to work determining which of his generals he could trust and which ones still held allegiance to Hordak. Skeletor found that most of the generals had preferred Keldor to Hordak and were happy to pay allegiance to him but there were some who weren’t so quick to turn. Those ones were executed outside of Snake Mountain, their impaled corpses a reminder of who was now in power.

Ninjor’s father, Jonrir was personally recruited by Keldor and had risen quickly in the ranks. Jonrir had grown up in the Sands of Fire, born into a family of wealthy traders. Jonrir was never interested in leading the life of a merchant, constantly hoping to find adventure and power. This was what attracted him to Keldor’s offer.

Jonrir had proven to be a capable field leader, leading many successful incursions into Eternos territory. Keldor didn’t consider many people to be friends and socialized with few outside of his elite warriors but on occasion he would share a meal with Jonrir and enjoyed his presence. Keldor even attended Jonrir’s wedding and saw to it that Jonrir and his family were given better than average quarters within the Dark Hemisphere encampments.

After Skeletor weeded out the generals that he believed would remain loyal to Hordak, Jonrir was promoted to general within Skeletor’s newly created army. This would have been a more joyous occasion if not for Jonrir and his family being stranded in the Dark Hemisphere with the rest of Skeletor’s army.

When the Great War came to an end, Jonrir’s son Ninjor was only 2 years old. Although growing up in the Dark Hemisphere was far from ideal, Ninjor benefitted from his father being in Skeletor’s good graces. Jonrir was ecstatic when he was told by Skeletor that he wanted the boy to grow up to be one of his elite warriors and agreed to allow Skeletor to give the boy special training from a young age.

Skeletor had always been forward thinking and knew that he’d eventually leave the dark hemisphere and restart his war against King Randor. He envisioned a special role for Ninjor, that of his personal assassin. Skeletor had many warriors that were well suited for battlefield combat but relatively few who would make good assassins because many of his elite were unable to remain inconspicuous.

From a young age Skeletor saw to it that Ninjor received the best training available. For years he trained with Jitsu in unarmed combat and weaponry. He got additional sword training from Blade and Evil Lyn taught him about concocting poisons. Ninjor was also given additional training in stealth tactics and disguise.

When Ninjor was 19, Skeletor requested his and his father’s presence in his newly constructed amphitheatre. When they arrived, Skeletor told Ninjor to go on the stage. This would be his final test. Ordering Jonrir to take a seat to watch his son’s performance, Skeletor sat down on his throne.

Stroking Panthor, Skeletor watched as Ninjor sparred with Jitsu, followed by a duel with Blade, using wooden swords, and finally as he defeated a dozen soldiers and was very pleased with what he saw. Soon the barrier to the Light Hemisphere would be brought down and Ninjor would be put to use.

Around 3000 years ago, in the Simapian city of Hugoshan, the Chief and his mate were blessed with a son. Because it was such a beautiful and bright day on the date of his birth they decided to name him Sun. Apart from being groomed to be the next leader of his people his parents and the rest of the Simapian race found Sun to be a pretty normal and average member of their species, not realising what fate had in store for them or him.

For almost 20 years Sun and the rest of the Simapians lived in relative peace. Their homeland was not much use to anyone for strategic purposes and while they had enough resources to sustain them they did not have so much that someone else would try to take it by force and so they lived in what they assumed was relative safety.

But it did not take long before fate reared her ugly head.

It wasn't an invading force that almost brought about the ruin of the Simapian race but was instead nature itself. What began as a small series of almost unnoticeable tremors quickly grew into a series of massive earthquakes that all but decimated Hugoshan. Sun and a group of around 100 Simapians managed to survive the ordeal only to find themselves homeless and despondant. Sun was also shocked to discover that both his parents were amongst those who had perished in the ordeal.

For several weeks the survivors attempted to rebuild their homes but the more they tried to clear up the more miserable they became, especially when it came to clearing away the bodies of their friends and loved ones leaving a feeling of gloom over the area that was almost strong enough to touch.

Coming to the decision that they would be better off finding a new home Sun suggested to the others that that is what they should do. However, not wanting to face disappointment or further heartache if they were unable to find a new place to call home the other Simapians instead made a deal with Sun. He would leave by himself and seek out a place where they could live while they remained in what was left of their city and tried to eke out a meagre existence. If he found a suitable place they wouldn't refer to him as Chief of the Simapians but would instead give him the never before bestowed honour of being KING.

Agreeing to this Sun gathered some provisions and immediately set out to find a new home. Not knowing why he chose to do so Sun set off in a westerly direction, sure that that was the direction that their new home would lie.

Sun travelled for many weeks when he came across an Ogre that had found himself trapped in a hole and was unable to get out. Sun being the kind hearted person that he was helped the unfortunate individual out of his predicament. The Ogre thanked Sun and introduced himself but Sun found his name almost impossible to pronounce and so, much to the Ogre's amusement, Sun decided that he would refer to him as Pigsy due to his pig-like nose. The two quickly became the best of friends and 'Pigsy', after hearing Sun's story, offered to help search for a new home for the Simapians.

A short while later they came across an Atlasian unconscious on a beach. It seemed like he had been the victim of an attack. Sun and Pigsy nursed him back to health but he was unable to tell them what had happened or even who he was because his injuries had left him with amnesia. Again it befell upon Sun to give yet another new friend a name. Because they had discovered him on a beach Sun decided, at least until his memory returned and they knew who he really was, that he would be called 'Sandy'

And so the trio kept on travelling, searching for a new place for the Simapaian race to call home.

Now in order to sustain themselves and pay for food and provisions from towns and villages they came across, the three friends would hire themselves out as workers to anyone that could pay them in either money or food.

One of the people who hired them was a Paleezean farmer named Drummond and his wife Trippy. While the trio were hard at work tending to Drummond's cattle the farm found itself under attack from raiders. Drummond wanted to surrender but the trio instead fought valiantly and eventually managed to drive the raiders away.

Drummond, in gratitude, not only gave them enough food to last a month but also presented them each with a horse for them to ride on. Sun's horse was a brilliant white color and when he rode it he said he felt like he was flying. So he named his horse 'Cloud'

After a few more months of travelling the three friends found themselves lost in the middle of the Bodhi Mountains, a small range of mountains near the more famous Mystic Mountains. They had found themselves at what appeared to be a dead end with no way out but the way they came. In front of them was a massive fast flowing waterfall.

“I dare you to jump through it.” said Pigsy looking at Sandy.

Sandy shook his head.

“And hit my head on a rock, no chance.”

“But you're an Atlasian.” said Pigsy “You're not afraid of a little waterfall are you?”

“No.” said Sandy. “I'm afraid of the wall on the other side. It's not as if I can just dive into it. One head injury is enough to last me a lifetime thank you very much.”

Sun laughed at his two friends.

“Ok then,” he shouted as he ran full force towards the rushing cascade of water “I'll do it.”

Pigsy and Sandy stared in disbelief as their friend leaped head first through the water and then...nothing. The had expected to hear a crash or a thud but instead they were greeted with silence. Presently they heard Sun's voice call out to them.

“Hey guys.” came the familiar cry of Sun's voice “Jump through, you won't believe what I found.”

So, taking a deep breath and closing their eyes tight the two friends jumped through the waterfall after Sun.

Opening their eyes they found themselves standing in a large open area. On the walls around them they could see what looked like the remains of homes that had been carved directly into the mountains themselves. There were literally hundreds of these small dwellings, all long abandoned but which would make a perfect place for the Simapians to create a new home in.

At the very far side from where they entered was what appeared to have been either an old temple or castle or something else of great importance which was also carved directly into the mountain. Massive stone doors towered over them, easily the biggest things that any of them had seen in all their travelling. On the door was carved the words “SHU LI DO”. None of the trio had any idea what this meant but they felt it was a good sounding name for this place they had discovered.

With a heave the three friends managed to push the doors open, in fact they opened quite easily which totally amazed Sun because he was sure that they must weigh hundreds if not thousands of tons. He assumed that some magic was involved to make them easier to manage but he decided to think little more about it.

Eventually after a bit more looking around, which included discovering a long dark passageway that ran through one of the mountains that Sun assumed was probably a back entrance but which he would probably never use, they quickly decided that this definitely would be the perfect place for Sun's people to call home. So they began the long trek back.

After a long arduous trek back home Sun was sad, but not shocked, to see that his hold home of Hugoshan was just as he left it. A ruined husk of it's former glory. The other Simapians were shocked to see him return, having long since felt that he had abandoned them and that he would never return. They were even more shocked when he told them that not only had he returned like he had promised but had also found them a new place to call home.

With Hugoshan destroyed and their attempts at rebuilding it not going very well the Simapians decided that they had nothing left to lose and that it would be better to follow Sun to this possible new home than to remain where they were and face almost certain extinction.

So they gathered up their supplies and began the several months long trek to Shu Li Do.

Eventually they arrived at the waterfall that was the entrance to their new home. They were naturally apprehensive at first but when they saw Sun, Sandy and Pigsy jump through with no harm it didn't take long for the rest of the Simapians to follow suit.

Soon they were quarrelling over which cave would be theirs despite Sun's protests that there was not only plenty of caves to go round but that there was so many they could probably house a few thousand more Simapians.

Still it didn't take long for everyone to be settled in.

The oldest Simapians hadn't fogotten their deal. When the excitement had worn off they called everyone to gather around Sun. With a crudely fashioned crown, which was simply an old metal rod that they had bent into a circle and painted gold, they did what they had promised all that time ago when he had first set out on his quest.

So from that day forward, because he had found them a new place to call home, Sun would forever be known as 'King of the Simapians'

The large temple with the massive stone doors was selected to be King Sun's new palace from where he would rule over the Simapians and watch over them while they rebuilt their society.

Lord Sandy and Lord Pigsy, as they were now known, were also given rooms in the new palace. The large pool of crystal blue water that the waterfall fell into would be a prefect place for Sandy to swim around in to keep nice and moist as per his needs as an Atlasian and it was not like he or Pigsy had anywhere else to go.

Part 5 - “The Sage Pool”

It was a few weeks later and Sun was growing increasingly bored just sitting around in his palace doing nothing all day. All his whims and desires were taking care of by his loyal people and he wanted for nothing. Well nothing, but excitement.

Sun missed the travelling and the exploring he had done with his two friends while they had searched for this place. Sandy and Pigsy sensed their friend's feeling and truth be told they felt the same way.

“What if we explore the palace a bit?” said Sandy, trying to cheer Sun up. “There must be a few hundred rooms that we haven't even looked in yet.”

Sun just shook his head. He had seen the palace. It was pretty much all he had seen for the last few weeks. He wanted something new to look at. Not that he hated his new home, he loved it. He was just a bit bored at staring at the same walls all the time.

But he had nothing better to do so with another push from Sandy he agreed to have another look around his new home to see what new 'wonders' he would find.

For hours the three friends looked in and around every room, nook and cranny they could find while discussing what they could use each area for and what decorations would look nice in which places. But soon Sun had the feeling that they had explored everywhere and he was ready for bed.

That was when he spotted it.

In a wall was a small wooden door that had been painted to make it look like the stone wall that surrounded it. Wondering what could be behind a door that was so important that the previous residents had tried to hide the fact a door was there, Sun slowly pushed it open and peered inside.

Before him was a long flight of stone steps that led down into the darkness.

The trio walked down the stairs.

At the bottom they were surprised to find a pool of blue water that seemed to let off a strange glow that lit up the cave they now stood in.

“Smells a bit like sage.” said Pigsy, sniffing the air.

“What does?” asked Sun

“The water.” said Pigsy.

Sun stepped close to the waters edge and took a deep breath.

“Hmm, yeah I guess it does a bit.” he agreed “I wonder what it tastes like.”

He bent forward to get a closer look and then...fell in.

Sun vanished beneath the surface. Sandy was just about to dive in after him when Sun's head broke the surface of the pool. He was pulling the most horrid face and spitting with all his might.

“It tastes terrible.” he shouted.

Sandy and Pigsy laughed. Then they wished they hadn't. The sound of their laughter reverberated around the cave, getting louder and louder and causing the whole place to shake. Large chunks of rock fell from the ceiling, narrowly missing Pigsy and Sandy. Sun could feel the water level dropping and scrambled quickly out of the 'Sage Pool'

After a few minutes it was all silent again but the pool of water was gone, not that Sun minded seeing the last of that foul tasting liquid. Still this would make for an interesting story and little did Sun know that this pool of water would grow to become the legendary source of his immortality, whether it was actually true or not.

Still Sun was feeling restless. Sure, looking around his new palace had passed a bit of time away but it still wasn't quite enough to satisfy his desire for adventure. So, with Pigsy and Sandy in tow and leaving a couple of his most trusted advisers to run his kingdom in his stead, Sun left his new kingdom and went out in search for the excitement that he so longed for.

For weeks the three friends travelled through the countryside looking for something to whet Sun's appetite for adventure but so far had no luck whatsoever. That was until they were passing near the east side of the Mystic Mountains and saw a small band of warriors. Curious as to what they were up to Sun, Pigsy and Sandy decided to follow them for a short while.

They hadn't gone far when they saw the warriors enter a large cave. The three friends quietly followed after them.

Inside they were shocked to see the Warriors viciously attacking an old Dragon. The Dragon was missing one of its legs, it looked to be an old injury, and it was blind in one eye. It was clearly in no shape to defend itself from three heavily armed men who attacked the poor creature with tremendous ferocity.

Not wishing to see any more suffering, Sun rushed at the three warriors. Not expecting an attack from behind as they were too busy concentrating on fighting the Dragon, the warriors were taken totally by surprise. Pigsy and Sandy quickly joined their friend and very soon the warriors turned and fled back out of the cave.

With the warriors gone the three friends went to check on the poor Dragon that had been the victim of the warriors attack. The Dragon eyed them for a few moments and then turned away and walked deeper into the cave.

“You're welcome.” shouted Sun after the Dragon. Turning to his two friends he said “Come on, lets get out of here.”

They were just about to leave when they heard heavy footsteps coming towards them. They turned to see the Dragon walking slowly in their direction. In it's mouth was a large black rod with golden ends. Slowly it moved towards Sun and gently placed the staff at his feet.

Sun looked carefully at the staff, it was easily twice as long as he was and looked like it was extremely heavy. Sun looked at his friends.

“I think it wants you to have it.” said Sandy.

“Yeah.” agreed Pigsy. “I think it's a gift.”

Sun bent down and tried to pick it up. He had been right in his assumption...it was heavy. Very very heavy.

“You know this would make a great weapon.” said Sun, holding the large staff in two hands and just barely managing not to drop it due to the weight. “I just wish it was a bit smaller and lighter.”

No sooner had he said this then the staff shrank down to half its original size. Now it was the same height as sun and much easier to handle. The three friends were naturally amazed by this miraculous weapon. With a bit more experimenting they discovered that it could shrink down to six inches in size or grow as large as fifteen feet (of course that made it too big to wield so Sun tended to make it grow to around 6 feet long when he wanted to use it)

Sun turned to face the Dragon to thank it.

However, while the three friends had been testing out Sun's great new staff the old Dragon had quickly and quietly passed away. So the three friends said a silent prayer in its honour and quickly left the cave.

Part 7 - “Legend of the Stone Monkey”

Over the years Sun, Pigsy and Sandy had many more adventures. They travelled all over Eternia helping those that could not help themselves and doing their best to make their world a better place to live in.

But as the years went by Sun began to notice something. Sandy and Pigsy were growing older but Sun himself seemed to be as young as he was the day he had met them. About fifty years after Sandy finally succumbed to old age, which occurred ten years after Pigsy had also died, Sun finally accepted the terrible truth. Somehow, whether by a fluke of his birth or by some magical means... he was immortal.

Sun continued to travel around for another hundred years or so and continued to help people he came across... but it just wasn't the same without his two best friends.

Knowing he couldn't die Sun decided to do the next best thing.

He returned to his palace where he once again appointed several of his loyal advisers to rule in his stead, except this time he wasn't leaving to go on an adventure, this time he had a different reason. He had decided that he had grown tired of the world for a short while and so he would take a short nap.

This 'short nap' would go on to last almost a thousand years, during which time he slept so soundly, being kept alive despite the lack of food or water, due to his immortality, that the other Simapian's and some of their allies from around Eternia, began to refer to him as the 'Stone Monkey'

Eventually however King Sun did awaken to reclaim his throne, with a new zest for life and ready to take on whatever it had to offer. He spent a good few hundred years in Shu Li Do ruling over his loyal followers but once again he bgean to grow bored so he spent the next few hundred years travelling, at one point even meeting and sharing a supper with the original Wolfsfang.

Even tho he is absent a lot, either through sleeping or being on a long adventure, the Simapians are very loyal to their King and never try to deny him his throne whenever he returns or even accuse him of abandoning them. He just has his little quirks.

END

King Sun and Journey to the West

Okay, for those of you who it is not painfully obvious to King Sun is a homage to the character of the Monkey King from the classic Chinese adventure story called “Journey to the West.” Indeed some of the characters, places and events in King Sun's bio are also adapted (stolen) from this old tale.

So for those of you who are curious here is a list of references to Journey to the West that can be found in the King Sun bio you have just read.

1.King Sun - Homage to the character of the Monkey King, 'Sun Wukong'. Like Sun he is also immortal and wields a magic staff.

2.Pigsy – Homage to character of Pigsy. In Journey to the west Pigsy was a heavenly soldier who got banished from heaven and ended up inside a Pig, hence the nickname Pigsy. The King Sun Pigsy is so called because in the NV, Ogre's have a pig-like snout for a nose

3.Sandy – Homage to the character of Sandy. The original Sandy was a water demon who was called Sandy because his real name 'Sha Wujing' meant 'Sand Awakened to Purity'. Because he was a water demon I decided that it would be best the the NV Sandy would be a Mer-Person

4.Cloud The White Horse – A Homage to both the white horse that Tripitaka travelled around on and the fact that the Monkey King could ride on clouds using a technique called 'Cloud Somersaulting'

5.Trippy – A blink and miss it Homage to the character of Tripitaka. In Journey to the West he was the monk that was tasked to travel west to claim some scrolls. Sun Wukong, Sandy and Pigsy were his bodyguards.

6.Hugoshan, the original home of Sun – A homage to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit where Sun Wukong was born from a stone egg. In China this mountain was called 'Hua Guo Shan'

7.Bodhi Mountains – Homage to Patriarch Bodhi who was the Sage who taught Sun Wukong the secret of immortality

8.The Waterfall / Shu Li Do – In journey to the west Sun Wukong was crowned king of the Monkeys by leaping through a waterfall and discovering the Water Curtain Cave “Shu lian Dong” very similar to how Sun discovered a new home for the Simapians by jumping through a waterfall and thus being crowned their new king.

9.The Sage Pool – Another homage to Patriarch Bodhi who was a Sage. Just as he is one of the sources of Sun Wukong's immortality, the pool of water that Sun finds that smells like Sage is believed by most to be the source of his long life.

10. The Dragon Staff - In Journey to the West Sun Wukong is granted his magical wishing staff (the Ruyi Jingu Bang) by the Dragon King of the Eastern Seas (alluded to in Sun's bio by the fact that the cave Sun finds the Dragon in is on the east side of the Mystic Mountains)

11. The Stone Monkey – One of Sun Wukong's names which he is named due to the fact that he was born out of a STONE EGG.

12. Journey to the West - Just like the original Monkey King, Sun Wukong, King Sun's first journey (to find a new home for his people) took him West

13.Drummond – Not a homage to Journey to the West but instead to the actor Brian Drummond who voiced Odiphus / Stinkor (a Paleezean) in MYP He-Man

The five men had been watching Kalin for some time now. For the last five weeks they had watched him every day as he went to and from the palace, either going to work or else doing chorse for his master and tutor Chef Allen. Sure this kid was not the Crown Prince or anything but they were pretty sure that 'soft touches' like King Randor and Queen Marlena would pay a pretty nice sum of money to make sure nothing ever happened to this 'innocent' young boy.

Watching from the window of a small room they had rented in the tavern nearest to the palace, the men soon spotted Kalin as he left the Palace gates and walked in the direction of the market. He was carrying a heavy basket and seemed to be looking at a large sheet of paper. The men figured that it was no doubt a list of things for him to buy. They knew that his path would lead him right by the front door of the very establishment they were currently standing in.

Quickly and quietly they made their way to the front door and stepped outside, ducking behind the oblivious Kalin as he walked past.

“Two onions and a Gurple Root.” said Kalin to himself. “I wonder what a Gurple root is. I guess Old Mister Hellan will know.”

Kalin put the piece of paper in his pocket and turned a corner that would lead to the main shopping district of the town. The men followed silently after him.

As Kalin went from store to store procuring the goods he had been sent to collect the men couldn't help notice that he kept idly rubbing the small gemstone that he kept tied round his neck. They also couldn't help notice that by the looks of it that gemstone could also fetch a pretty penny to the right buyers...and these people knew the right buyers.

With the last item bought Kalin was heading back to the palace. It was now or never. Luckily for the five men the quickest way back to the palace from where they were was through a side alley that was nearly always deserted. It would be the best place to grab the kid and make a quick getaway so that they could send the ransom demand to the Palace later.

Kalin could have sworn he heard heavy footsteps coming up quickly behind him but he didn't have time to turn round and look when powerful hands grabbed him from behind. A strange smelling cloth was pushed into his face and moments later all Kalin could see was darkness.

Quickly the men shoved him into a large sack they had and the largest man hoisted it, with Kalin inside, onto his shoulder. Quickly they made their way out of south side of town to a Horse and Cart they had waiting which they would use to transport Kalin to an old abandoned farm house a few miles down the road.

At the farm house they pulled the still unconscious Kalin out of the sack, dumped him hard on a bed and tied his arms and legs up good and tight. Soon they would send a messenger bird to the palace with their demands and soon after that they would be rich people, or at least a little better off.

As they were writing the note Kalin began to stir. One of the men noticed and pulled Kalin hard up into a sitting position.

“Hey kid.” said the man who had just pulled Kalin “nice to see you're finally awake.”

Kalin was scared

“Who are you?” he asked, tears forming in his eyes. “Where am I? I want to go home.”

Two of the other men just laughed.

“All in good time.” said the man, seemingly oblivious to Kalin's signs of distress “First things first.”

“Please.” cried Kalin. “I just want to go home. Please.”

The man ignored him and continued. “You see my friends and I are business men. We are hoping to make an arrangement with the good King Randor. We know that you work for him and even though you are just staff to him I think a guy like him would hate to have anything happen to you.”

Tears were flowing from Kalin's eyes quite heavily now, the man could tell he was too shocked to understand what was happening to him.

“Bottom line.” said the man “We are going to ransom you back to the King. He pays us you go free. He doesn't...”

He let the last part of his sentence trail off.

Then the large man who had carried Kalin to the cart spoke up.

“You know.” he began “I was thinking. What if the King doesn't believe we have the little brat? Shouldn't we send some kind of proof?”

The man who had spoken to Kalin considered this for a moment

“Like what?” he asked

“I dunno. Something small. Like a finger perhaps”

“Sure. Care to do the honours?”

If Kalin wasn't scared enough already he was now. He was being forced to sit and listen to men talking about using him to get a ransom from Kign Randor and now they wanted to cut parts of his body off to use as proof.

He felt like he was going to be sick.

Then the headache began again. The pain in his chest that normally signalled a blackout episode where he could lose anything from a few minutes to a few hours, his memory for that period just gone.

His vision was beginning to blur as he watched one of the men move towards him with a knife.

“Hold him down.” a voice said

“I can't he's moving too much.”

“Just grab one of his hands. The little finger should...”

“What the hell? Where did that tattoo come from?”

“Are they supposed to glow like that?”

“What's with this kid? His clothes...they're changing.”

“Forget his clothes, look at his skin. Look at his face.”

The last thing Kalin heard before he fell into total unconsciousness was the sound of screaming.

He woke up on the side of the road near the palace. He was battered and bruised and a guard was standing over him.

“Hey kid.” said the Guard, obviously concerned. “You okay? Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?”

Kalin slowly sat up

“I can't remember.” he said “I think I was robbed or something. They must have hit me pretty hard.”

The guard looked at Kalin. There was something familiar about him.

“Hey you're that kid that works for Chef Allen up at the palace right?” the Guard asked.

“Yeah.” said Kalin, getting to his feet as best as he could manage. “He took me on as his apprentice not that long ago.”

“Okay.” said the Guard. “Just stick with me and I'll make sure you get back to the Palace. I am pretty sure they are all worried about you up there, it's getting dark now.”

So, leaning gently on the friendly guard Kalin made his way back to the Palace and to Chef Allen. The only thought running through his head was that Allen may be upset that he lost all the groceries.

Meanwhile back at the old farm house. The men had chosen this place because nobody ever went there any more. It was a few miles off the main road and the only trail that lead there was overgrown and underused. In fact they themselves had only found it by accident and realised what a great hideout it would make.

This fact would now prove lucky to anyone with a sensitive stomach and a weak constitution.

For if anyone was to come across this building and walk inside they would walk into a scene of total and utter carnage. Blood covered every inch of the building, body parts strewn haphazardly across the floor and furniture while the heads of five men could be found on a bed, each with a small finger placed in their mouths which were locked open in a permanent silent scream

and now for a less dramatic story. I wrote this one simply to have a change from all the epic battles and events and stuff we usually write and simply because it sounded like a good idea.

so I am proud to present

A Night in the Palace

It had been one of those rare quiet days with no signs of trouble from the many forces of evil thad had begun to plague Eternia in recent years and it seemed that the night would be just as refreshingly uneventful.

The sun had been down for just over two hours when Bat-Ler returned from a scouting mission that Man-At-Arms had sent him on. He had circled around the Dark Hemisphere for a couple of hours but he saw nothing that was worth reporting, at least nothing that couldn't wait until the morning. So with a quick flap around the palace to make sure everything was fine he flew into his room through the large windows that had been specially widened to allow him his access in and out while flying.

As Bat-Ler began to get changed for bed his super-sensitive hearing meant that he could hear most of the other denizens of the palace, where they were and possibly what they were doing.

The first sound he picked up on was a yawn coming from a corridor not far from his room. He recognised the sound of the young as belonging to Prince Adam. Bat-Ler figured that he must be heading for the guest kitchens. Adam had once told him that Cringer did not really like the richer tasting meat that was available to only members of the royal family via their special kitchens but instead preferred the less rich, but still exquisite, meat that was made available to their guests and staff.

Adam's parents, Randor and Marleena would no doubt be asleep in bed and Bat-Ler thought he heard a snore from Randor that seemed to confirm this.

Bat-Ler was slipping on an old shirt that he wore to go to sleep in as he heard the sound of the kitchen door being open, probably by Adam.

“What can I say,” said the unmistakable gravelley voice of Wolfsfang. “I have always been a night person at heart.”

“Me to.” came the softer voice of Rodantus. “Probably comes from growing up in the darkest reaches of Subternia I guess.”

Bat-Ler guessed that the three would be in their night attire by now. For Prince Adam that would be his silky pyjamas, Rodantus simply wore a pair of shorts while Wolfsfang tended to wear a set of modified bed clothes from his days as a member of the Royal Guard.

Bat-Ler was still getting used to calling Wolfsfang by that name. When he had come to stay on a more permanent basis at the Palace he had known the Lupian warrior by his human name of Garrett but now he was spending more time in his Lupian form and seemed to prefer to be called Wolfsfang these days.

As Adam, Wolfsfang and Rodantus were talking in the guest kitchen Bat-Ler's hearing began to pick up more of the night life in and around the palace.

-----

Orko was mumbling in his sleep. No doubt he was sleep casting again which meant his room would be filled with all sorts of junk when he woke up. Some nights it was so bad that the cleaning crew had threatened to quit rather than deal with the mess the little Trollan tended to leave.

The young boy named Kalin who had recently been made apprentice to Chef Allen probably had early morning duties which meant spending a night in the palace as Bat-Ler could hear him snoring soundly in his sleep. Chef Allen himself was sound asleep in his own room a few doors away from Kalin.

Still Bat-Ler's allowed his range of hearing to expand, picking up on even smaller details. Soon he began to hear a small but unmistakable sound of grinding and creaking. At first he thought it was someone trying to open one of the many heavy doors in the palace as quietly as possible but it seemed to quiet even for that. Then it hit him. He was listening to the slight sounds of ice moving and creaking which meant he was picking up Ant-Arctic's specially designed room that had been constructed in the colder parts of the castle underground.

Ant-Arctic had been giving a room in the basement not because he was felt to be a lesser person but simply because it was the coldest area of the castle and his unique physiology meant that it was the best place to house him while he was a guest. Ant-Arctic had made it even more comfortable by encasing the walls in a thick coat of ice and sleeping in an icy cocoon to keep his body at the sub zero temperatures it required.

-----

Clamp Champ and Ram Man were obviously on guard patrol this night as he could hear them talking as they walked around the corridors, their heavy footsteps revealing that they, unlike the others he had heard that night, were still in full uniform.

“So see anything unusual?” asked Clamp Champ

“No.” said Ram Man “Although I think I saw someone fly around the guest quarters a few minutes ago. Looked like it was either that Bat-Ler guy or Ferat.”

“That guy gives me the creeps.” said Clamp Champ with a small laugh.

“Who? Bat-Ler?”

“No Ferat.”

“Why?”

“Oh don't get me wrong he is a great guy and I would feel safe if he had my back in a fight, but man have you seen him eat? I have seen some things in my time but I doubt I will ever get used to seeing someone drink blood like it was wine.”

Speaking of Ferat, Bat-Ler realised he could not hear him anywhere around the palace. This probably meant that he was either spending time with his family who lived with the Spelean race deep in the caves of Subternia or else Man-At-Arms had also sent him on a recon mission and he was yet to return. Buzz-Off he knew to be at Andreenos which explained why Bat-Ler could not hear the sound of quiet buzzing that normally signalled the Andreenid warrior was sleeping peacefully.

Lizard-Man, Calisman and Javel were currently guests of King Sun of the Simapians so they too could not be heard this night. Snout Spout on the other hand was snoring the loudest of all in the palace, the sound seemingly being increased due to his trunk which could be so loud at times that Bat-Ler was sure that he wasn't the only one in the palace that coul hear it at night, he had little doubt that in fact the entire palace and probably some of the surrounding city could hear it just as well.

-----

As Bat-Ler hoisted himself up and over to hang by his feet from a bar specially hung from the ceiling of his room to accommodate his special method of sleeping his hearing heard one last set of sounds. It was the noise of metal hitting metal and he guessed it was coming from the training yard that Royal Guards used to practice their various skills such as sword fighting and archery.

“Don't you think that you have done enough for one night?” came Man-At-Arm's voice. “You have been practising most of the day and by the looks of the moon, the best part of the night as well.”

“Well if you're tired,” said Teela “Why don't you go to bed father? I feel like I could go on for another couple of hours.”

“Ok.” said Man-At-Arms, Bat-Ler could hear the sound of a sword being sheathed. “Have it your way. Don't blame me if you feel so tired in the morning you can barely move because you still have duties that need attending to. As for myself I am going to bed to see if I can at least get a few hours of sleep.”

Bat-Ler could hear the heavy footsteps of Man-At-Arms walking in the direction of the Royal Barracks. He had been offered a better room in the palace but he insisted that he stay with the Royal Guard to show that even with a higher rank he was simply the same as them. Teela had also opted to stay there in case her father required her for any reason during the night. It was joked that it also made her feel more like one of the guys, which was funny because to a lot of the people in the palace she was more 'one of the guys' than some of the guys were.

“Ok.” said Teela. “One more hour with the bow and then I promise I will go straight to bed.”

“Good girl.” Man-At-Arms said. “Just remember that just because today was peaceful that doesn't mean tomorrow will be. Who knows what Skeletor will throw at us and when so it is best to grab a rest whenever you can.”

Teela's voice was too low for Bat-Ler to pick up on. Not because she was whispering but because he had finally started to fall asleep. Sleep, the only time he ever got any real peace from the sounds of the world.

So, with his large leathery wings wrapped around him like a blanket, Bat-Ler finally drifted off to the land of sleep and allowed the sounds of the palace at night drift off into nothing.

-----------------------------------------------------

I hope you enjoyed this slight change of pace and please please please if you read this or the last couple of stories please leave a reply. Sure the NV has been a bit slow at the moment (ok by bit I mean very) but at least for me part of the reason was the lack of responses, I actually started to feel that if no other orger cared then why should I? But I do care and I would love to hear from some of you who may read this.

The Ninth Level of Hell plotting my slow and painful revenge on the brightly sunlit world...

Posts

9,563

Originally Posted by wolfsfang

Ok I guess I should take a break from my taking a break from the Org forums to say thanks for the reply Benny, nice to see at least one person is reading this thing

Ha! My evil is wthout end! I am powerful enough to make wolfy break his vow of silence on these boards! Soon I shall make turn my considerable dark powers to making women break their vows of chastity and for the married, their wedding vows! Bwahahahahahahaha!

"Wheresoever on earth he dwells, man is prey to two weaknesses: the need to pray and the need to love."-Marquis de Sade

"It is not by reasoning or by our understanding that we have received our religion; it is by external authority and command."-Michel De Montaigne

Bat-Ler is a a lawsuit waiting to happen. Talk about invasion of privacy! Sheesh! Glad no one needed to go potty!

Lol true but I think there are things that even he won't listen to

Ok on with the show

Teral

Bio by Darth Latveria
Character created by Darth Latveria and Wolfsfang

There are some things that the royal family has to keep secret from all others. One of these things is their true relationship with the Ysac clan.

On the surface, the Ysac clan is much like any other noble family. They were very wealthy and controlled a fiefdom southeast of Eternos that was known for its cured meat exports. The clan had been granted their lands by the royal family of Eternos a long time ago, thus it seemed as if the clan had been part of the nobility for almost as long as the royal family had existed.

However what no one outside of the reigning monarch in Eternos knew was that the family served a very special purpose.

The royal family of Eternos has traditionally been known for their upstanding, virtuous nature. Although they on occasion would be forced to take part in armed conflicts their reputation as honorable enemies was renowned throughout Eternia. However, there was a dark secret that only the reigning monarch knew.

For centuries the royal family of Eternos had retained a skilled operative that would be used for various activities, such as theft, sabotage or even assassination. The decision to create such an operative was not made lightly as it was inherently repugnant but it had been decided that not all situations could be dealt with using armies or negotiations and at times more subtle and insidious methods would be deployed.

Every leader in Eternos had a sworn duty to never use his or her power for conquest of expansion. Expansion, in their opinion, was only acceptable under situations where the royal family of Eternos and the leading party of another group made mutually beneficial agreements. However, there was also a sworn duty to protect the people from outside threat, which is where the Ysac clan came in. Most engagements could be settled either through negotiations or battle, but in certain unique situations, other methods would be used.

The Ysac family performed a unique form of martial arts. Through years of deep meditation they had mastered the ability to go into a state where they perceived time differently, almost as if things were in slow motion. This could be achieved for short periods of time, making their speed and reflexes seem nearly superhuman to an outsider. If Earth existed in the NV, they would be also known as masters of parkour. Furthermore they were trained to use a number of weapons, evasion techniques and numerous other skills that would prove useful to their work.

In truth, the family`s ascension to nobility occurred for two reasons. Firstly it was in payment for their services but it was also done so that they would have unfettered access to the palace, making it easier to meet with the reigning monarch. Only one member of the Ysac clan in any generation would take this role, although all would be trained in case he or she should fall before their successor was ready.

For centuries, whenever a new monarch came to power the leader of the Ysac clan would ask for a meeting with him or her and reveal their true function. This revelation had always been done through a letter written by the prior monarch to the future one that explained the truth nature of the relationship between the royal family and the Ysac clan. Most new monarchs found the idea repugnant, particularly King Randor when he first came to power, but in time they accept it and choose used the clan`s services accordingly. At this point the monarch writes a letter to his or her successor which is then given to the Ysac clan for safekeeping. In truth, few monarchs ever use them at all but in times of war they are frequently used for assassination missions.

The current operative working for King Randor is Teral the 6th. From the age of 7 onwards most of his training was conducted by his aunt as the former operative, his father Teral the 5th, disappeared during a mission in the Dark Hemisphere during the waning days of the Great War. Now that Skeletor has chosen to wage war against the forces of Eternos, Teral is sure to be used soon.

Easily one of the most populous races on Eternia, humans have traditionally found themselves in the middle of Eternian affairs. In most regards, such as strength, speed, magical potential, visual acuity, hearing and stamina, humans on average tend to compare moderately with Eternia’s other intelligent races.

There are some records that imply that during the time of the Covenant they played an integral role in the building of one of three magical towers, but as with all things from this era much of these stories have been written off as little more than myth. Later records show that nearly 3,000 years ago humans played a big role in defeating the Snakemen during the King Hiss Uprising, but the details of these events have been lost to time.

More clear records emerge from 2,000 years ago, during the era of King Grayskull. Grayskull, although believed by some to have actually been part giant, has historically been viewed as a human who united Eternia against the Horde. Many believe that the royal family of Eternos can trace their roots back to King Grayskull.

Since the founding of the Council of Elders, an event that occurred either during or shortly after the time of King Grayskull, humans have found themselves playing a central role in many of Eternia’s pivotal events, including the Great War. Many of the leaders of the Council of Elders, including the current one and his predecessor, have come from the royal family of Eternos.

Speleans

One of the few races native to Eternia’s subterranean depths, relatively little is known about the Speleans. They have a comparatively small population and don’t often travel away from their homelands.

Records suggest that they were one of the many races who banded with King Grayskull against the Horde and were one of the founders of the Council of Elders. They don’t show up much in historical documents from after the Horde war due to their infrequent travels to the surface.

Speleans are one of the few Eternian races that can fly naturally, unaided by magic. This is possibly because of their large and powerful, leathery wings. Unlike Andreenids whose wings flap at extremely high speeds, Speleans flap very little when flying, preferring to conserve their energy and glide. For a race of flyers, Speleans are unusually large and heavy, outweighing other winged races such as the Andreenids and Falconids.

In general, Speleans have a poor sense of sight which is made worse in direct sunlight as they find the brightness distracting. This discomfort with bright lights is part of why they seldom leave Subternia. On the other hand, they have excellent senses of hearing that allow them to use a form of echolocation that in many ways is more acute than sight.

Speleans are known for having a serious temperament and seldom joking much with others. However this is not meant to be a sign of hostility as it is simply reflective of their general demeanor. They are also known for their sense of duty and loyalty, as well as for being very open to accepting of other cultures. Thus while Speleans dislike leaving Subternia to visit other races, they gladly welcome guests. It is this mixture of seriousness and loyalty that has led many of the great leaders of Eternos to closely trust the Speleans.

Caligars

The Caligar are a unique species on Eternia. They are one of the few intelligent races to choose to live underground and have traditionally preferred to keep to themselves.

Of all the intelligent races on Eternia, they are one of the largest physically. Their scaly hides are thicker and more durable than the flesh of the humans and Gar and their strength is greater than most of Eternia’s other races. But belying their fierce appearance, the Caligar are in fact known for being peaceful and contemplative in nature, having produced some of Eternia’s finest poetry and music.

Historically, the Caligar have tended to avoid the affairs of others but on occasion they have played roles in some of Eternia’s most important historical events. It is known that they banded with King Grayskull in the war against the Horde, leading to their becoming one of the founding members of the Council of Elders.

The Caligar tend to get along well with other races but they have had conflicts with some. Approximately a few hundred years ago there was a bloody conflict with a group of Snakemen. The Caligar have not shared many details with others about the nature of the conflict but it is known that numerous Caligar still harbor a disdain for the Snakemen, although this is not a view encouraged by their current leader, Ceratus.

For a long time the Caligar also had conflicts with the Speleans, their nearest neighbors in the caves of Subternia. The conflicts were generally over matters relating to territory or resources that would sometimes lead to armed conflicts, but never led to a prolonged war. But recent years have seen their relations change drastically. During the Great War they banded together against Keldor’s forces, seeing that they had far more in common with each other than they had ever suspected. Their unified front was greatly influenced their leaders from the era, Ceratus and Dactys. Ceratus lacked the interest in isolation that his forefathers had passed down and strongly believed that it was in his people’s best interests that they improve and expand upon their relationships with the other races of Eternia. Dactys, a very old and experienced Spelean leader, had grown tired of the constant conflicts with the Caligar and was happy to have the opportunity to finally put their conflicts behind them.

Since the Great War the Caligar have taken a more active role in Eternian politics and are now seen much more often in the streets of Eternos. They have also formed a much stronger alliance with the Speleans and now jointly train their armies, with the Speleans acting as a sort of “air force” and the Caligar fighting as the ground troops.

Captain Bara is a high ranking member of the Muridon army and a loyal and trusted friend to King Gerbalis himself.

After Skeletors attack on their home and witnessing Lord Rodantus bravely try to defend their kingdom without any aid from any of his fellow Muridons it was quickly decided by Gerbalis that in order to protect themselves from possible future invasions they would have to create an army.

One of the first to sign up was Egidious Bara, a large and impressivle strong friend of both Gerbalis and Rodantus, who had lost an eye in his youth in a fight with another Muridon boy over a trivial game that really should not have ended in such a way.

Bara travelled with the others to the city of Eternos where Randor had agreed to instruct his own royal guard to provide the Muridons with the necessary training as well as sending a small contingency to live with the Muridons until their own people had finished learning what they needed to know. Bara was also glad that he would be able to catch up with his friend Rodantus and hear stories of Rodantus' exploits with the Defenders of Eternia.

Because of his size and strength it was decided quickly that Bara would benefit most from learning to wield heavy weapons such as Claymores and Battlehammers and indeed he did learn to use these with some skill, but what impressed his trainers the most was that it seemed that despite only having one eye Bara had a natural affinity with using a bow and arrow.

After several months of training Bara and the other Muridons returned to their home where he was appointed the new Captain of the newly created Muridon Guards by King Gerbalis himself.

However many found the name Captain Egidious Bara to be a bit difficult to say in the heat of battle so he quickly became known to his subordinates as Cap. E. Bara

Powers:
*Enhanced sense of smell - Not as poweful as Lord Rodantus (who is rumored to have the most powerful sense of smell on all Eternia, but easily a match for the heroic warrior Wolfsfang)
*Enhanced hearing
*Night Vision
*Great strength - Easily the strongest Muridon in existence.

“Very impressive. I can see why you come so highly recommended. But the price still stands.”

Saurod gritted his teeth at the last part. The crooked merchant he was meeting with had just spent the last 15 minutes testing him and his throwing knives had hit the bullseye on every target that the merchant had put up for him and yet he still wouldn’t make his offer any higher.

“I told you. For this kind of job, I want 4 gold pieces, not 3.”

“You’re talented kid, but not good enough for that kind of money.”

Saurod felt the muscles in his legs tighten, ready to pounce on the ugly little man. But he held back. Killing potential clients wouldn’t help his reputation.

“There isn’t anyone better than me. You want the best; you need to pay the price.”

“You really think you’re the best, don’t you?”

Did this smug little fool have a death wish?

“I don’t think I am, I know I am.”

“Not from what I hear. You’re good; I’ll give you that but Rio is the best.”

A barely audible growl escaped Saurod’s lips. This was the third time in the last 8 months that a potential client brought Rio up when trying to lowball him. Saurod had never even heard of Rio until a couple years earlier but nowadays it seemed as if he couldn’t avoid the fool. He was a veteran of the Great War who’d fallen on hard times and eventually into a bottle, but the tales of his knife throwing skills were still popular across Eternia. And now these tales were hurting Saurod’s business. It was time for a reckoning.

Brusquely pushing the merchant aside, Saurod walked to his horse. He paid no heeds to the shouts of “where are you going,” emanating from the merchant as he rode away.

It had been three days since Rio had arrived but he still wasn’t sure what it was called. And he didn’t care. The drink was good and the food was cheap. The rest didn’t seem to matter much. Pouring himself another glass of wine from the bottle in front of him, Rio slurped another spoonful of his stew.

“Rio, face me!”

The voice was angry and terse. Rio didn’t think he recognized it so he had no idea who was behind him. Nor did he care who it was. It always seemed like someone wanted to pick a fight and if this guy wanted to make the same mistake as the others, he’d regret it just like them as well. Not even acknowledging his challenger, Rio ate another spoonful of stew.

With a large clunk, a knife was slammed into the table next to him. Turning his eyes to the blade, Rio could see that the hand holding it was reptilian. Probably a Repton or a Snakeman.

Looking at the knife, Rio said, “Nice craftsmanship,” and in an almost nonchalant manner, spun around, smashing his bottle into the face of his antagonist.

Seeing his antagonist reel back stunned, Rio looked at him carefully for the first time. He appeared to be some sort of reptile-man, possibly a Repton, but likely not a Snakeman. He was wearing armor and the broken bottle had shattered on his helmet, protecting him from the brunt of the blow. Hoping to use his assailant’s being off-balance to his advantage; Rio rushed forward to tackle him but was surprised when his attacker caught him mid-lunge and tossed him aside.

Crashing through a wooden table, Rio hit the ground hard, covered in spilled mead. Pulling one of his knives out, he tossed it at the reptile-man who gracefully dodged it. Whoever this guy was, Rio had to admit that he knew what he was doing. Jumping back to his feet, Rio grabbed a share and swung it at the reptile-man, who sidestepped it and kicked Rio in the ribs.

Grunting painfully from the kick, Rio fell backwards and tripped over an overturned chair. Scrambling to his feet, Rio noticed that the other patrons had already rushed out of the bar. As his attacker threw a knife at him, Rio reacted quickly and kicked a table up in front of him, causing the knife to get lodged deep into the table top. Trying to go back on the offensive, Rio threw another knife at the reptile-man but it collided in mid-air with a knife flung at him. Rio was shocked. He’d never met someone who was such a good knife thrower.

Both Rio and his attacker threw more knives and both came close to hitting their targets. Rio’s knife grazed the reptile-man’s armor while the reptile-man’s knife cut through a loose piece of Rio’s shirt, narrowly missing flesh. This was not an opponent who would be easily dispatched. Shrugging his shoulders, Rio said, “Should we take this outside and finish it properly?”

Slowly nodding his head, the reptile-man said, “Yes.”

Turning his head to the bar, Rio saw something that surprised him. During the commotion, his glass of wine had not been knocked over. Striding over to it, Rio said, “Let me finish my drink first.”

The reptile-man seemed a little taken aback by this but didn’t move to stop him. Chugging back his drink, Rio said, “What’s your name anyways?”

The village was situated in a mountainous region. Its northwestern border was marked by a powerful river and there was little foliage outside of bushes and a few small trees.

Rio and Saurod made their way towards the river, far enough from the village so that no one else would get involved. As Rio walked over the gravelly soil he wondered to himself why this man had come to kill him. People frequently wanted to start trouble with Rio, but that was usually over a dispute in a bar. This guy actually took the time to search for him. He couldn’t remember ever doing something that was likely to anger a reptile-man, but with all the alcohol he consumed there was a lot that he couldn’t remember.

Nearing the river, Rio said, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“There is no doubt.”

Lifting his left eyebrow, Rio shrugged and said, “Okay then, lets get this over with.”

The moment that Rio stopped talking, a knife came flying towards his heart. Jumping to the right, Rio grimaced as the knife cut through his left arm. The cut wasn’t deep, but it stung.

Answering in kind, Rio threw a knife at Saurod’s head, swearing to himself when Saurod dodged it. Saurod tossed another knife at Rio, but Rio responded with lightning quick reflexes and hit it out of the air with his own knife, following it up with another two knives thrown at Saurod. Saurod dodged the first one but the second one went into Saurod’s thigh armor. It punctured the armor but didn’t penetrate far, not going deep enough to draw blood.

Quickly pulling the knife out of his armor, Saurod threw it back towards Rio. Rio was barely fast enough to dodge it, it grazing his right cheek and opening a nasty gash.

The battle continued for what felt like hours but was likely only a few minutes. Rio and Saurod quickly ran out of knives but were soon throwing back the blades of their antagonists. The villagers stood in the distance, watching the battle, amazed at their skill, careful to not get close so as to avoid the danger of an errant blade.

As the battle went on, Rio felt his body tiring. He wasn’t sure if the same was true of Saurod though. He’d never been very good at reading the body language of the various reptile-races and couldn’t tell how Saurod was feeling. Unlike Rio, Saurod had not taken any cuts yet although his armor was getting pretty scratched. Rio thought that Saurod was probably in better shape than he was, but the weight of the armor was bound to tire him out. Saurod was an extremely acrobatic fighter, an interesting contrast to the less flashy but equally effective moves of Rio.

Although Saurod was not showing it, he was getting frustrated. Rio just refused to stand still and be hit. Usually moving targets weren’t a problem, but Rio wasn’t like the others. He clearly knew what he was doing and his own skills as a knife thrower made him able to predict what Saurod would do next. The other irritating thing was that Saurod was getting closer and closer to the water. Rio’s aim might not be better than Saurod’s but he had a lot more experience at maneuvering an enemy into position. Saurod didn’t want to have his back to the river like he did, but he couldn’t move away from it and it seemed like he kept on getting closer. As a matter of fact, the rocks he was standing on were wet and slippery, covered with a thin coat of algae.

Rio could see that Saurod was standing on slimy rocks and that he was having trouble keeping his balance. This would be Rio’s best chance at finishing the fight, so he threw three knives at once in a desperate attempt to take Saurod down, vaguely aware of Saurod throwing one towards him.

Saurod tried to dodge the blades but lost his footing, causing one of the blades to embed itself into his throat. Making a choking noise he fell backwards, into the heavy current of the river.

From a distance, Rio saw Saurod fall into the river and get washed away. He doubted that Saurod could survive the blade in his throat and turned to return to the village, but suddenly fell forward in pain. Looking down, he saw Saurod’s final blade jutting out of his chest. He hadn’t felt it go in but now he was in agony. Slowly pulling the blade from his chest, Rio could see that he was lucky. It had managed to miss his vital organs and while it hurt like hell, the healers could fix it. Tossing the bloody knife to the ground, he stumbled towards the village thinking about how that last throw of Saurod’s would’ve likely ended his life if not for Saurod being off-balance.

Slowly Saurod crawled out of the roaring river. Shakily getting to his feet, he stumbled towards the lights he saw in the distance. He had no idea how far the tide had taken him and was too exhausted to care. He was lucky, although he certainly didn’t feel it. The knife had managed to avoid the major arteries in his throat and it looked like he wasn’t in danger of bleeding out soon as long as he could find a healer nearby. Judging by the lights he saw, a decent sized village wasn’t far away and he’d be able to find help.

It would be a long time before Rio and Saurod met again. Saurod’s ego was hurt by his loss but in time it would heal. However, not all injuries from the battle healed as well. His ability to speak was permanently hindered. His speech would forevermore be raspy and quiet, the difficulty involved in speaking forcing him to keep his sentences brief.

glad you are still liking it Patreek, hopefully more people are still enjoying it as well

Now seeing as it is near Halloween here is a story inspired by the tales of H.P. Lovecraft

The Tale of Kadroh

Part 1: Talks In The Chiropteran Village

There were times that Adam hated his princely duties and this was one of them.

Feeling that it was time for Prince Adam to take on some of the duties befitting a future king, King Randor had started sending him on ambassadorial missions. The first time he had done so nearly ended disastrously. First the king had taken away the sword of power, obviously not knowing its significance, telling Adam that he felt it was important for him to learn how to use other weapons. This would have not been overly problematic if not for the raiders invading Urdot and nearly killing him and Teela. To complicate matters further, Adam and Randor’s other representatives then nearly got butchered by a mindless beast on the way back to Eternos. They were narrowly saved by a new friend known as Bludaxe. At least on this mission Adam got to bring his sword along.

Unfortunately the mission was to the Dark Hemisphere.

Ever since his first trip to Snake Mountain as He-Man, Adam had hated the Dark Hemisphere. The hemisphere got its name from the numerous active volcanoes in the area that caused smoke to block out the sunlight. Although it wasn’t as dark as night, during the day time it was almost always gloomy at best. Having grown up in the lush gardens of Eternos, Adam always found the harsh and desolate landscapes extremely depressing and unnerving. He was used to having a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to eat but in the dark hemisphere there was little to offer outside of mushrooms, root vegetables and various moss-like growths, as well as the animals that subsisted on these things.

This particular mission was to discuss trade relations with the Chiropterans, a vampiric race that lived in the dark hemisphere and allied with King Randor. Adam didn’t actually have any say over the trade talks themselves, but his being there was a show of good faith and respect. Duncan was handling the actual negotiations. Although the dark hemisphere was traditionally viewed as a dangerous place, this particular trip was deemed to be low risk. The usage of warp stones meant that they were able to teleport straight from an area just a few hours outside of Eternos directly to a point that was about an hour away from the Chiropteran village. The actual travel involved was relatively risk-free and the areas surrounding the Chiropteran village were known to be free of Skeletor’s influence.

Joining Adam and Duncan for the trip were Sir Seror, Teela and Ferat. Ferat was travelling with them because he had been planning to spend some time visiting extended family. Teela was with them because Randor believed that it was also good for her to get some experience dealing with other cultures. Finally, although the trip was deemed to be low risk, Seror was sent along with them to ensure Adam’s safety. Naturally Cringer was with him as well. Although the animal couldn’t speak, Adam could tell that he had been put off by being left at home when Adam had travelled to Urdot.

Looking across the dinner table, Adam was desperately trying to continue eating. The Chiropterans were gracious hosts but eating with them made him queasy. Although the Chiropterans had some talented chefs who made quite good food given the limited supplies they had to work with, Adam just wasn’t used to watching people drink goblets of blood. Poking around at his mutton he continued to slowly yet consistently feed himself, knowing that Teela would tease him mercilessly if he let his discomfort show. Adam had never actually had a sister but he felt that with Teela’s teasing he had a pretty good idea of what it might be like.

Noticing that no one was looking at him at the moment, Adam quickly tossed a chunk of mutton to a clearly grateful Cringer. The Chiropterans were always amazed at how quickly he ate.

Finally dinner was over and Adam was able to excuse himself to his quarters for the evening. Lying in bed he was thankful that this was his last night in the dark hemisphere. By noon tomorrow, he’d be back in Eternos.

Adam and the other travelers rode out of the Chiropteran village, surrounded by a Chiropteran honor guard. As always the Chiropterans were showing how seriously they viewed their visits with nobility from Eternos and as a consequence Adam and his companions found themselves surrounded by a group of 20 soldiers while travelling the relatively short distance to the warp point.

Cringer and Adam sat in the back of a small wagon, with Sir Seror sitting up front with Duncan, who was controlling the horses. Teela was riding another horse, leading the group. As Adam looked out of the back of the wagon he couldn’t help but wish that his secret did not have to be hidden. He’d much rather be riding at the front of the pack on Battlecat, a far quicker mode of transportation than this wagon.

After about an hour of twiddling his thumbs, Duncan shouted to Adam that they had reached their destination. Climbing out of the back of the wagon, Adam walked up to the Chiropteran ambassador and grasped his right hand, a traditional sign of respect amongst the Chiropterans. Thanking him for his hospitality he told the ambassador that his father would greatly enjoy a visit from the Chiropteran nobility and hoped that they would be able to make the trip soon. Looking to his side, Adam saw Seror talking quietly with Ferat, likely wishing him a good vacation. Eventually the formalities had ended and it was time to travel home.

Sir Seror walked to the center of the group and pulled out the warp stone. But he hesitated before using it. A strange look came over his face and he said, “I think there’s something wrong.”

Puzzled, Duncan asked, “What is it?”

Shaking his head, Sir Seror said, “I’m not sure. It feels like the magical currents surrounding the warp point are off. I can’t exactly describe it to a non-mage, but there’s something that feels out of place.”

Stroking his chin, Duncan said, “Do you have any idea what it is? Do you think that we are about to be attacked?”

Looking downwards, Sir Seror hesitated for a moment. Then he said, “No, whatever I am feeling seems to be natural. I don’t think it’s anything premeditated.”

Having listened to their conversation, Adam stepped in and asked Seror, “Do you think that whatever you are feeling could hurt our ability to teleport accurately?”

Duncan said, “Is that even possible? These warp stones have existed since even before the days of Grayskull and I’ve never heard of any natural occurrence that have affected their accuracy.”

Shaking his head, Seror replied, “I honestly don’t know. What do you suggest we do?”
Looking at Adam, Duncan felt that it was a good chance to give him a taste of leadership and said, “Adam, this is your decision. What do you think we should do?”

Adam was a little surprised by Duncan’s decision to consult him. It seemed like people seldom cared much about what he said when he wasn’t a giant muscle-man. Slowly pacing back and forth, Adam thought the issue over. Coming to a decision he said, “I think that we should not put off the trip back home. They’re expecting us to arrive soon and as Duncan said, warp stone mishaps are unheard of.”

Nodding, Duncan said, “I agree. It’s best that we get going.”

Standing next to Duncan, Adam couldn’t help but wonder if his decision was partially based on how badly he wanted to get home. He really hated it in the dark hemisphere. But at the same time, it was a safe method of travel. Also, how could Adam know what Seror was sensing? He never really understood mages. For all he knew, maybe the Chiropteran feast from the past night was disagreeing with Seror’s stomach.

But as Seror began to do the incantation that would activate the warp stone, Adam couldn’t help but feel a bit of foreboding. Maybe something was wrong? To be prepared for anything that might arise, he quickly unsheathed his sword so he’d have it in hand if necessary.

As it turns out, Adam should’ve paid more heed to Seror’s concerns.

Part 3: Magical Mishaps Suck

Watching a person teleport away tends to be a relatively serene experience. Those that are being teleported tend to glow and that glow eventually gets brighter until it is nearly blinding. Then without any warning, the luminal intensity drops and the people are gone. It’s quite an orderly and relatively quiet event.

That wasn’t how this particular trip went.

As Seror said the incantation, the winds picked up sharply and lightning began to arc through the air, which was puzzling given the lack of clouds. As the winds howled the Chiropteran honor guard had trouble standing upright in the windy onslaught.

Through nearly shut eyes, Ferat looked at Adam and the others who were in the center of this onslaught. They clearly had no idea what was going on and Adam looked like he was about to get sick. Cringer was balled up around Adam’s feet with his paws covering his eyes. Ferat wanted to help but he had no idea what to do, which is to be expected since he had no idea what was happening.

Then without warning there was a bright explosion that blinded Ferat and knocked him to the ground. As he was falling, he was vaguely aware of a whistling sound as something flew past his head.

Blinking away the light spots, Ferat slowly stood to his feet and watched his Chiropteran brothers rise. Looking at where the prince had been, he saw nothing. This was a relief because he had briefly worried that the explosion was them and was expecting the landscape to be covered in their remains. At least they hadn’t died... well, to be precise, at least he wasn’t certain that they were dead. They might’ve actually survived; he just had no idea where they were. This was unfortunate to say the least. He didn’t envy the ambassador, knowing that he would have to travel to Eternos to tell the king that his son might have been blasted into oblivion. Feeling sorrow over his potentially fallen comrades, Ferat steeled his heart. He wouldn’t give up hope that they were alive until some sort of conclusive evidence could be found that pointed towards their fates. And if they had fallen... well, it was a time of war and they would neither be the first or the last of his friends to fall.

Turning his attention elsewhere he wondered what had flown past his head. Walking away from the warp point, Ferat saw something sticking out of a nearby boulder. One of the soldiers followed behind him and said, “Just before the explosion, I think I saw the winds blow that sword out of the prince’s hand. You don’t know how lucky you are to still have a head. That thing just barely missed.”

Looking at the sword embedded in the boulder, Ferat grasped the hilt with both hands and tried to pull it out. It was in pretty deep, so with the help of the soldier they both slowly pulled the sword out. Looking the sword over, it still gleamed wondrously and amazingly wasn’t even chipped by the stone. The soldier was amazed. Shaking his head, Ferat said, “That Man-At-Arms sure is a hell of a blacksmith. We better take this back to the village with us until we find the prince and his companions.”